Silence of the Soul
by bluedog96
Summary: "You don't know what it's like to live." Luffy placed his hand over Ace's still heart. "There is something missing and you don't even know it." Vampires travel in covens to avoid attachments to mortals-obsessions made in place of the soul. There is no love for a vampire, nor do they understand it. Vamp!Ace; Not yaoi; Dark at times.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't think this one will be long. Maybe…idk, 12 chapters or so? I plan on updating this one every Saturday or Sunday, but it shall be sporadic. Especially since I've been planning on participating in Camp Nanowrimo. Aiming for 50,000 words on my original novel. **

**Okay, so vampires in this story don't have souls and therefore no moral of right or wrong. As you might figure, this leads to OOC. Don't like it? don't read it. I get annoyed with all the romance, lovey-dovey vampires stories popping up. Be sure to add in an extra dose of self-loathing. But, it seemed like vamp fics have been popping up recently in the OP archive. Problem is, they have terrible grammar. Drives me nuts! So, here this one.**

**Warnings: slight OOC, potentially very dark at times**

**Disclaimer: I don't own...yada yada. Goes for whole story umkay?**

* * *

_Thump. Thump. Thump._ His heart pounded frantically in his chest. Curse this world! Why did he have to be the one stuck with this fate? First his father—that hated man—is killed leaving him all alone. His mother was next to go, withered away with consumption. Now, he was the last one. The last of the Roger bloodline would soon be dead in some god-forsaken alleyway on an unknown island. Placing a hand on his chest, he willed his heart to slowdown. A fast pace would bring the monster running.

"Kid's got spunk." The voice echoed down the alleyway and Ace's breath caught in his throat. Reaching down, his hands wrapped around a nearby pipe. Don't make noise. Don't make noise! The words repeated over and over in his mind as he lifted the makeshift weapon into his hands. _I'm not afraid!_ Hands tightened their grasp around the pipe, the knuckles white, as he tensed in preparation to whack whoever came around the other side. _Like hell if I'll die on my twentieth birthday! Why the hell didn't my Devil Fruit powers work against them?_

"Hmm?" Feet padded along the cobblestone road. "I think I heard something."

"Ah! That was probably him. Man, he sure gave us a run for our money! I think we should turn him. It might be interesting just to see his reaction." Ace's breath hitched, eyes going wide, as the speaker reappeared in front of him. Quickly, he swung the pipe in a wide arc straight towards the orange haired monster's face. "Wow there!" He caught the pipe and tore it from Ace's grasp. Glowing eyes leaned towards him, pushing him into the ground, and blocking his airway.

"Gah..!" Ace choked as the pressure increased. His hands scrabbled for purchase on anything that would get the inhuman beast off of him. "Wha-!" Ace choked as the hand tightened again before releasing.

"Uh,Uh,Uh!" The man with the pompadour wagged his finger in Ace's face. "Food doesn't get to ask questions. But, seeing as you're going to die, we might as well tell you." Ace struggled as we was lifted off the ground and slammed against the wall. "Marco, I'm going to take this one."

"Go ahead. I'll just find someone else." Ace's eyes flickered to the side and caught a glimpse of a bored man. _How can he be so calm about killing someone!_ Ace hacked as the hand released his windpipe. An elbow slammed into his chest, and he was forced up against the wall again. A hand ripped his head sideways. "Now then, what's your name?"

"Screw you!"

"So your name's Ace?" Ace paled as the man continued to stare at him. His head was starting to become fuzzy. His arms dropped to his side as the man stared at him contemplatively. A cold breath fanned across his neck and the man whispered in his ear, "Relax." It was akin to a hiss and his body was betraying him. He relaxed against his will and his entire body went limp. "Got to love the hypnosis." The man chuckled and Ace's eyes flickered.

"F-finish i-it…already." Ace managed to sputter out from beneath the thick haze on his mind. If he was going to be killed, he wanted it to be quick rather than this torture of waiting.

"You can still talk?" The man raised an eyebrow before shrugging. In a swift strike, those fangs sunk deep into the arteries. Ace flinched, body going cold, before returning to his previous, limp state. The only sound he could hear was the faint sucking of the monster attached to his neck. A euphoric feeling rushed through his mind. Stars danced around and around forcing him to forget his situation. Blank eyes stared up at the moon as the edges of his vision grew darker and darker. His body was heavy and, slowly, his eyes slid shut.

_Thump. Thump….thump….thump._

_Silence._

Thatch didn't stop there. Ace had died, but he intended to sire this boy. So, he kept drinking every last drop of the crimson fluid that still remained in the corpse in his arms. Memories surged in his mind and the man grinned. This boy was a good recruit—one who would enjoy the life of a vampire. Several minutes later, he dropped the man on the cold ground. A cold smirk etched itself on his face. "Thanks for the meal." He gave a mock bow and sat down beside the corpse.

"It's disrespectful to mock the dead, yoi." Marco appeared overhead on the rooftop, blood staining his pristine clothes a dark red.

"Like you don't do it too!" Thatch hefted the body onto his shoulder. "We should be heading back to the ship. Everyone else is probably finished by now." Marco's eyes trailed to Ace's still form. He leapt off the building and landed in front of Thatch with graceful ease.

"Let's go. The Marines will catch wind of this soon, and I don't feel like dealing with them, yoi."

"Alright, alright! Don't get your feathers in a ruffle. I need you to pick up some humans for this guy. When he wakes up, he's going to be thirsty as hell. I need to get him prepped and cleared with pops." Marco stared at him for a few moments before giving him a sharp nod. He vanished in a split second leaving Thatch behind with his new corpse friend. "Now, let's head back to the ship. You're going to love it!" Thatch paused midway into his next step. "…I really need to stop talking to corpses."

…

His throat burned. Why did it burn so bad? It felt as if he couldn't breath and the world was closing in around him! Grasping fingers clawed at the wooden boards, leaving deep gouges in the already scarred floor. The rigor mortis faded as the man's body was wracked with spasms. Ace's eyes flew open and his hands shot towards his neck. He shot up, gasping for air, as his nerves calmed down to a normal level.

The soft thumping noise in the background drew his attention and his eyes flickered to a woman sitting on the opposite end of the room. She yelped and pressed her body against the wall like a frightened animal. It was strange. Ace knew, logically, he should be upset and angry that he was killed by _vampires_, but he now that he was on this side he understood. He stood and took several steps towards the woman. The siren's call of her beating heart called to him. Licking his lips, he smirked in anticipation.

He couldn't blame them for eating. His yanked the woman up from the floor and dug his teeth deep into the flesh. He moaned as the warm liquid flooded into his mouth and warmed his body from the inside. Memories assaulted his mind—a family, close friends, and an upcoming wedding. Her fiancé would be short a bride then, because he didn't plan on stopping anytime soon. Why should he?

The door opened with a creak revealing his sire who wore the same sinister grin he sported. Ace frowned as the woman died weakly in his arms and dropped the corpse on the floor. He didn't feel like turning anyone tonight. "How do you feel?" His sire asked.

"Great! So I'm dead—a vampire?" The man nodded. "I don't feel angry like I should."

"Oh that?" He shrugged. "Happens to everyone. There's a reason why we are called creatures of the night. We aren't vegans and we certainly aren't _friendly_."

Ace's eyes glinted in the moonlight as he looked at the waves beyond his sire's form. "Where am I?"

"The Grand Line. We're the Whitebeard Pirates. We have a reputation for being bloodthirsty. Hopefully you didn't have any attachment to that town."

"Does it matter if I did or not?"

"And that," That clapped his hands, "is why I like vampires. Such sensible folk! Now, Pops wanted to see you. He's the captain of this ship."

"That is acceptable. I have one question before we leave."

"What is it?"

Ace's gaze lingered on his palms, back to the man, and back to his palms. Eyes filled with uncertainty, he asked, "Why did you kill me? Why was I turned?" Thatch seemed confused.

Comprehension lit up his face. "Oh! It's the remnants of your soul that wants to know. Well kid, it's just what we do. You had spunk. Missing your old life already?"

"No. I was simply curious." Ace didn't even spare the corpse a glance as he exited the room. The view was greater than anything he had seen back on his island. The air was fresher than he remembered, and the waves sparkled under the soft glow of the moonlight.

"What do you think? Pretty isn't it?" Thatch took a deep breath and leaned against the railing of the deck. "There's nothing like the freedom of the ocean. I mean, sure, we don't get to drink whenever we want, but there's ways around that."

Ace placed a hand over his still heart. Should he feel wonder or amazement? His heart was leaping in excitement, but he wasn't sure how to process it yet. Thatch placed a hand on Ace's shoulder. "Don't worry, we all acted like this when we first turned."

"I understand and I feel some form of emotions, but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do."

"That's because we lack something that humans have—a soul. Don't ask me where it goes cause I have no idea, but humans say we lack a moral code without it. The sudden loss also leaves your emotions in a jumble for a bit. You'll get the hang of it eventually."

Ace scoffed at the idea. "Moral code? What good is that? If I have to follow some stupid rules, I would rather go without a soul."

"And that is part of the reason why humans don't like us." Thatch nudged Ace forward. "Come on! Pops can't wait to meet you." Thatch raced off. Not wanting to be left behind, Ace sprinted behind him.

"Wait up!"

…

"Gurararara." Ace retreated a safe distance behind his sire as he took in the biggest ex-human being he had ever seen. The giant took a swig of his alcohol, peering at Ace from the corner of his. "So you're the newborn. Thatch," Whitebeard said, "Did he feed?"

"Like a pro!"

"Hm." Whitebeard twirled his moustache between his fingers. "I see. Come here, child."

Ace, steeling his nerves, approached the man. "Old man."

"You're a cheeky little brat! Gurarara!" Whitebeard burst into soft laughter before affectionately ruffling Ace's hair. Ace let out a few indignant cries as the man continued speaking. "How would you like to be my son?"

"Huh? Like hell! I'm free now!" Ace laughed and fire sparked to life in his hands. His devil fruit still worked! "I'll be returning to my hometown shortly." A vile smirk crossed his features as he turned towards the direction of his hometown—Dawn Island. Yes! Ace knew what he wanted now! Ace wanted to hear the screams of those pitiful humans that had tormented him since childhood.

"You picked up a real nasty one boys!"

"He'll fit right in, yoi."

"Ace," Whitebeard broke the boy out of his reverie of power, "Let's make a deal."

"A deal?" Now, this was promising. Familial ties didn't interest him but a deal… "What sort of deal?"

"Join my crew—my coven. Sail the world with us. Join us on our raids. We'll give you all the freedom you want in return."

"None of this son crap?" Ace hated the mere idea of being a son to anyone. The shadows of his human life judged family as an obscenity. His vampire side deemed such connections useless. Love was not something to be in a vampire's vocabulary.

"Not unless you feel like it. It's in your best interests. Newborn vampires do not know when or where their lost emotions will surface. It's best for their affections to be within their own kind." Whitebeard continued, "I've known a few who've died when they became attached to a human."

How could anyone be attached to a human—especially without a soul? Ace couldn't comprehend the madness of a soul. A soul made you greedy, abhorrent in behavior, and led humans to grasp at things beyond their reach. They had dreams, but these dreams were goals that couldn't be achieved. Souls made you stupid and weak. Weak like he had been before Thatch and Marco had found him.

"I'll come with you guys…for now." Cheers erupted and the crew swiftly surrounded Ace before he could flee below deck.

"It's party time!" Kegs were busted as the members broke out the alcohol. "Bring out the sake!" Marco shoved a mug into his hand with a smile. Ace grinned a toothy grin and filled his glass.

Raising his glass high, he called out, "Cheers!" Mugs clanked all across the deck as the party went into full swing. Ace sat down across from Thatch and Marco. He took a deep swallow, relishing the warmth flooding his body. It wasn't as good as blood, but it was still pretty damn good. Wait, could vampires get drunk?

"In case you're wondering," Marco said, "Yes we can yoi."

Thatch let out a refreshed sigh as he drank his own mug. "The best thing? We can drink as much as we want and never feel that after effects!"

"Is that so?"

"You bet. Marco here can outdrink everybody on the ship. His powers are the strangest of all of us." Ace quirked a brow, taking a sip of beer.

"I'm a phoenix yoi. I ate one of those devil fruits."

"Phoenix or not, I can outdrink you."

"Want to bet?" Thatch, seeing an opportunity, threw himself between the two. He yanked them apart and shoved fresh mugs into their hands.

"Listen up! The newbie Ace is going to challenge Marco!" Excited murmurs passed among the crew as they gathered around the pair.

…

Dawn Island. It was Ace's birth town during life, and the center of his hatred. He scowled as it came into site—mountains and villages visible from his spot on the ocean. Fire flared around his feet, willing the boat to go faster, as it zoomed towards the beach. Docking at the ports was a bad idea—he would get pounced on immediately. He was scouting for a good location for the Moby Dick to beach anyway. It was all the more reason to avoid the docks in town.

Ace quickly pulled his boat onto the sand. Using his hand to shadow his light-sensitive eyes from the sun, he took in the sheer cliff in front of him. "Heh," Ace smirked and pulled his cowboy hat over his eyes, "This'll be a cinch." Flexing his muscles, he jumped up onto the ledge without ever touching the rocky wall.

"Ack!"

"Huh?" Ace's head whipped towards the nearby bushes. _Human._ In a flash, he had a scrabbling human child clawing at his arm in an attempt to escape. "It's no use kid."

"Let me go!" Ace pinned the child against a tree with a flick of his wrist. Fangs extending, he lingered over the child's exposed neck. "Wait!"

"What?"Ace groaned in annoyance. He hated the bartering type. Thatch enjoyed that type. Maybe he should give the kid to him.

"Y-you don't want to eat me!" The boy was giving him one of the most sincere expressions he had ever seen.

"Pffff…hahaa! That's what you want?" Ace was sure his eyes were twinkling in sinister amusement. "Not going to plead on behalf of family? No, 'Monster!' remarks?"

"You really don't want to eat me." The kid pulled his lip. That in itself wasn't unusual except that it stretched the entire length of his arm. Ace dropped the human in shock.

"Impossible! Humans don't have powers! Unless…you ate a devil fruit?" Ace hefted the child in the air eliciting whimpers from the child. Sniffing the child, he noted he didn't smell appetizing at all. "Damnit. I don't want to eat rubber." He tossed the kid back on the ground.

"So you aren't going to eat me?"

"Nope. You ruined my appetite. Idiot." The child did what he least expected then and crawled into his lap. He was a freaking vampire and the kid was crawling into his lap like Santa Clause! Wait, were those _stars_ in his eyes? "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"So what are you mister? You're not human!"

"I'm a vampire! Get off of me!" Ace attempted to shove the boy off. Attempted. The child's rubbery arms latched around his neck in a strangle hold. He was seconds away from brutally murdering the kid. "Stop that!"

"No! You're the first person to come into the forest!" Ace froze. He yanked the child's arms from around his neck. The boy stared up at him in amazement and wonder, a perpetual grin on his face.

"No parents?"

"No."

"Siblings?"

"Nope." So this kid was like him before he was turned? It didn't change anything—he would still the kid—but it brought his strange behavior to light. The villagers must have kicked him into the forest. Humans were humans and obscene irregularities were forbidden. Outsiders were exiled. It was times like this he was glad he didn't have a soul to care. "Are you a vampire? Cause you had fangs earlier! Man I was so scared!" The boy bounced up and down on Ace's lap. "Can you tell me about vampires?"

"You looking to become one?" He didn't want to bite the kid. He smelled like rubber. Rubber wasn't appetizing at all. Ace's face scrunched up at the thought of eating rubber. Not happening.

Luffy shook his head. "I want to be a pirate!" Ace chuckled and shifted the boy to a more comfortable position in his lap. "But vampires are awesome too! Have you ever been out to sea?"

"I'm a pirate and a vampire kid." Okay. Now the kid was as bright as the sun with all his hero worship going on his eyes. Perhaps he wouldn't kill the kid. He was unusual for a human and capable of holding his interest. He would keep the child around for a conversation or two. It sounded like a solid idea.

"What's it like to be a vampire?"

"You might enjoy it. You go wherever you want, and do what you want. You can do things humans can't do. I can hypnotize people to do my bidding if I really wanted to, or scale walls with a single leap."

"Really? How do you become a vampire?"

"You get killed by one."

"Boo! I don't want to die! That's lame!" The boy plopped himself on the dusty ground and started scribbling with a pout. The boy shot him a look over his shoulder. "You aren't going to force me are you?"

"No. You would taste like rubber." The boy started smiling again and Ace was filled with exasperation. Who the heck smiles in front of a vampire? The boys back on the ship would get a kick out of this encounter.

"You're probably right." The boy dusted off his hands and stood up. "Oh yeah, I can't keep calling you 'Vampire.' What's your name?"

Actually, being called a vampire would have been preferable. He was supposed to strike fear into the hearts of mortals! Yet, here he was chatting away with some seven year old boy. The crew back on the Moby Dick was waiting for him too. This was supposed to be a safe mission—no chance of forming an attachment to a human! But here he was…hanging on the child's every word.

"Portgas D. Ace."

"Shishishi! Nice to meet you Ace!" The boy stuck out a hand in greeting. "I'm Luffy!"

"Luffy huh? I'll be coming back with my crew, so stay away from them. I don't think they'll have as much of a reservation towards eating you as I did." Ace shifted his pack full of supplies. "Which way is the town?"

"Do you promise not to kill anybody?" Was this kid for real? Ace put on the biggest show he had so far.

"That would be rude of me."

"I don't think I should tell you, but there's a big kingdom on the other side of the island. It has more people than the Fuchsia Village." Oh. The kid was actually suggesting a better place to hunt? They must've done something really terrible to Luffy.

"Did they do anything to you? You seem eager to sell them out."

"Of course," Luffy frowned and tugged on his straw hat. "They killed my brother, Sabo."

Ace's face split ear to ear in a predatory smile. They were going to have some fun with this kingdom. He ruffled the kid's hair. "We'll be sure to have a nice snack while we're there."

"Wait!"

"Huh?" Luffy was waving at him as he departed.

"Come back later!" Ace ignored the smiling face and tugged his cowboy hat over his face. Weird kid. Why would he?


	2. Chapter 2

**3. Brotherly Bond**

"Oh!" Haruta shouted with glee at the approaching Striker, "Ace is back!" Ace probably brought back news of the goodies to be had on the island! Ah but he was a newborn. He was probably a glutton when they weren't looking—not that it mattered. Humans are like a bunch of ants crawling on the ground—too many to count. Heck, the only reason they had left the paradise called the Grand Line was because Ace wanted some old fashioned revenge against Dawn Island and pops happened to be meeting someone on the island.

"Ace is back?" Vista noted from the side. The commanders rushed to see their beaming brother pulling up to the side of the ship.

"He's smiling like he ate someone."

"Why not, yoi? He is a newborn. We wouldn't let him off the ship if it wasn't for the deal we made." Marco shot a glance to the approaching shoreline. Hopefully the kid didn't get distracted by the humans running around and chose a place for them to properly dock. They had to hide soon before the Marines spotted them and began swarming. It would be annoying to fight them all off. They were like flies swarming around—unable to do damage but they were sure as hell pests.

Ace cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted upwards, "Hey! There's a perfect spot underneath a cliff. Keep heading straight!"

"Hoist the sails!" Thatch shouted as Ace leapt up on deck behind him. "We're heading straight for land!"

"We'll show those humans terror! Hahahaha!"

"Hey, calm down men!" Thatch shushed the roaring crowd. "We can't just raze it to the ground!"

"Thatch, did you randomly gain a soul, yoi?"

"I think what he's saying," Ace smirked and threw an arm over his shoulder, "Is that we need to go at it with more tact." He would make sure Luffy was long gone before any of the crewmembers tried to burn down the Goa Kingdom. Those bastards deserved to burn. Oh that was a great idea! Throw them out into the nasty terminal they despised so much and set them on fire with his devil fruit.

"Well, there's that and the fact that we came here for another reason." Ace's eyes widened in shock. There was another reason? "Seriously? Was nobody paying attention?"

"Another reason? Whitebeard told me we came here to let me get my revenge!"

"Calm down Ace! I think you'll find this interesting. You know the four emperors right?"

"What of them?"

"Whitebeard wanted to meet the newest one—Shanks. Shanks happens to be docked on this island. We're not sure why he is, but it was on our destination." Shanks huh? Shanks was a peace loving pirate—words that just didn't seem to go together. There was a reason why there coven was a pirate group. They do whatever the hell they want and people expect the attitude that comes with it.

"So," Jozu popped up from a hatch on the floor. Why the heck did he come from the floor? Ace decided he would rather not question the insanity. "We should do it secretly."

"Exactly, yoi." Marco stepped forward this time. It seemed he had caught on to the whole plan and had begun devising his own. Typical Marco. In the few days he had known the man, he found he was observant and planned everything ahead of time. He didn't handle jokes well though. "Shanks wouldn't stand for someone razing a village to the ground in plain sight and this island is under his protection . Instead," Marco smirked, "we should create nighttime terror yoi."

Now that…was even better! Ace loved the idea! "Ya know, Thatch pulls of the pranks but _you_ are the master of devious plots!"

"Glad you see it my way." The wind blew from the front of the ship. Ace savored the feeling of the sun and the wind as it blew across his skin. It was good to be back on the sea. While he hadn't taken to the sea as a pirate, it wasn't uncommon. Out of respect for his mother, he had chosen to join the more lawful side; however, those were human notions. With the island creeping closer, he would throw everything he knew out the window.

"Ace," Thatch said, "You ready to get rid of your last ties?"

"You bet." Ace's smile vanished. It was strange. He didn't care that Thatch had essentially killed him but he cared for what some island from who knows how long ago treated him. The only other thing he needed to do on that island was to keep Luffy safe from his hungry crewmates. Ace's face twisted in a grimace. There was a twang in his heart at the thought of the abandoned kid dying.

"You're wondering why you want revenge so bad? It's the thing that tormented your mind the most. That's why you feel the need to eradicate it. Happens to everybody." Ace was getting fed up with all the rules and exceptions. Being a vampire was confusing as hell at times.

"Who said I was wondering?"

"Kid, everybody wonders." Ace scoffed at his sire and turned his back. Yes, it was childish. Did he care? Nope. As long as he got rid of the strange urge, Ace figured it didn't matter. There was all the time in the world now. Yet, there was a strange longing in his chest. He felt like there was something he was missing. He leaned over the edge of the railing and watched the sun begin to set behind the island, the light reflecting of the waves. He didn't notice Thatch giving him an affectionate smile. "Seems like you've formed your first attachment."

"Hm?"

"Nothing. Be sure not to lose whoever is making you give that look." Thatch said no more as he headed off to the kitchens. He had to go prepare some meals for the humans they would be meeting later.

"I…have an attachment?"

The Moby Dick docked at the shore and the vampires, as rambunctious as ever, jumped ship as soon as they could. Fires were lit and the alcohol was brought out. The crew cheered and laughed along with each other. Ace was sitting beside his own personal camp when Marco came and sat down beside him with a mug in each hand. He passed one off to Ace, who accepted it gratefully, and joined him by the camp side. "Thatch was going on about how you finally formed an attachment."

"Tch. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"We've been vampires for ten times your human lifetime. I'm sure you're wondering what an attachment is."

"It's what we form without souls." Ace said in annoyance, "I could go without it if you ask me."

"Hm." Marco pondered for a moment, "While I agree with you, that is not all, yoi."

"There's more?"

"Vampires become attached to those they manage to linger around without killing. There are times when it happens instantly and other times when it can take months. It lessens the burden on the mind which the soul usually inhabits. It keeps us sane even if we don't understand why." Marco looked towards the beached ship. "That's why our coven is so large. The more attachments you have, the less of an effect they'll have on you. We stick with our own because they understand the necessity. We protect our own due to these bonds we have made."

"Shut up." Ace responded, disgust written in his body language. "You make it sound like that love crap humans are always spewing."

"It's not like that. It's not love. I would call it…more of an obsession yoi. A replacement for the soul to keep us anchored to our bodies." Ace face palmed and groaned. That was even worse! "I've seen vampires who lost the sole bond they had."

"What happened?"

"They went insane. They tore the town apart and went feral. The worst part? The first bond is always the worst."

"This bond doesn't mean I'll care for other people will I?"

"Unless you spontaneously gain a soul, no." Ace nodded and clenched his fist. He should kill the kid before the 'bond' became too strong. He didn't want to be tied down to some sack of flesh that would only drag him down. "Chances are, you'll only form an attachment to two or three vampires too."

Ace set his mug on the ground and brushed off his pants. He grabbed his sack and stood, back facing Marco. "I have something to take care of."

"Hey, clean up your own mess yoi."

"Sorry. Not in my agenda." Ace gave a playful wave good bye and vanished into the forest. He had a troublesome, annoying human boy to find. _And when I find him…_Ace licked his lips. _I'm going to rip that pest limb from limb! I will not be subject to the whims of a human! Protect? That is bullshit!_ Flames roared to life around his shoulders. _I'll burn down this entire forest if I have to._

Luffy tumbled to the dirt. He forced his limbs to move, spitting out dirt and grit, as he got to his feet. His hands clenched the pipe tightly in his tiny hands. "Move! There's no way I'm going to die here!" He lunged at the Bear King. A giant paw came swiping down and slapped him out of the air with a thud. The beast towered over him, drool falling from its jowls as it looked over its newest prey. "Go away! Stupid bear!" Luffy trembled and backed away as fast as his injured legs could pull him.

He knew he shouldn't have been wondering out here alone! Sabo always scolded him. He and Sabo couldn't take down the Tiger or the Bear king! He was stupid to think he could fight this thing alone! Luffy whimpered as his back hit the rough bark of the tree behind him.

"Someone…anyone…Sabo!" Sabo couldn't save him this time. The second thought came to his mind like an instinct and he screamed out the only person he knew could possibly save him. "ACE! Help!"

"Grrrrawww…" The bear stalked in a half circle in front of the tree. It was contemplating the best way to maim him. Luffy was sure of it. Suddenly, he wished he had died from a vampire rather than this bear. The vampire would have been nicer. At least the vampire had given him some form of warning! Getting bitten would hurt a lot less than getting impaled by a claw. The bear let out a roar and swiped down with its clawed paw.

"Ahhhh!" Luffy scrunched his eyes shut and braced for the oncoming impact. Nothing came. Peeking open an eye, the person he least expected to actually show was standing before him. He was holding the bear's hand as if it weighed less than a feather as he smirked at the boy beneath him.

"You got guts!" He lifted the bear and slammed it into the forest floor with a sickening crack. Luffy dashed over to the dead bear. "Challenging a thing like that…"

"A crater!" He had left a crater where he slammed the bear into the ground! "So strong!" Luffy's form slumped to the ground as the adrenaline left his body in a limp state. Tears sprung to his eyes. "Awahh!" He cried out and latched himself to the vampire's leg. "I thought I was going to die! T-thank you!"

"Tch." Ace shook his leg trying to get rid of the pest. "Get off of me you little runt! It was instinct okay! Stop crying!"

"B-but…!"

"I hate crybabies!" Luffy clammed up in an instant, tears still leaking form his eyes in a pitiful attempt to quit his scared sobs. Ace pried the kid from his leg and held him up. "What the heck were you doing out here?" _And why the heck am I NOT maiming you?_ He added the unspoken sentence in the back of his head.

"We don't have any food back at the cabin, so the bandits kicked me out. So, I tried to get something to eat even though Sabo told me never to go into the forest alone because there are scary things. I got lost and I found the bear…" Luffy trailed off, eyes downcast, as tears welled in his eyes again. There was a slight twitch in the back of Ace's mind that told him _not_ to kill the kid. Ace's ignored the boy and looked toward the bear corpse on the ground.

"Okay, okay! I'll help you cook the bear if you tell me more stories. I was going for a walk, but I suppose you'll do for company. I'm not gathering the branches! Do it yourself." The boy immediately began scurrying around for twigs and large branches to use as kindling for the larger fire. At least the kid was self-sufficient—he didn't want to deal with a weakling. A flame sat in the palm of his hand to allow the human to see. It took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust to the intense light, but it was long enough for Luffy to gather all the materials.

"Um, can I borrow your fire?" Ace nodded absently and Luffy stuck a larger branch into the flame. It took a few seconds, but it quickly caught fire. Ace noted grimly that Luffy's legs were wobbling. The kid would probably burn himself. That would ruin any good company he might have on this night.

"Wait." Ace snatched the flaming branch and tossed it into the pile Luffy had assembled. He snapped his fingers and the pile burst into flames before evening out into the perfect campfire. "There. Do you know how to cook it?"

"Yeah." Luffy pulled out a small knife and looked back to the bear. "Ummm…I don't think this knife is big enough." Ace peered over the boy's shoulder to look at the tiny tool. The bear was just too freaking huge. Ace swiped the knife from the boy's hand and went over to the bear. With deft strokes, he began the process of skinning the hulking giant. "Sorry."

"Hmph…don't worry about it." Geez, he was getting sappy. The kid couldn't be expected to skin the thing though. It was just too huge! "Why don't you ask your questions before I ask mine?" He didn't want to be focused on a skinning a bear. The blood smelled foul and he had no need for the meat.

"Hmm. You were out in the sunlight earlier."

"Myth. If we burned in the sun, we might as well burn in the moonlight. It's just reflecting sunlight after all."

"Does it hurt your eyes?"

"A bit. You get used to it quickly." Ace ripped the rest of the pelt off of the bear. His years of surviving in the forest had not gotten rusty after all these years it seemed. "Take the pelt. You can sell it for a bunch of money."

"Do you have any family?"

"Used to." Ace saw the slight pinch of the boy's face. He was upset for some odd reason. "What?"

"What happened to them?" Ace froze and lowered the dagger.

"They died. My father tried to support my mother, but he couldn't hold a steady job. He started taking on jobs no one would touch. They paid well but everyone called him a demon. My mother died from consumption. I don't have any siblings."

"You must've been lonely." Ace paused when he felt warm skin touching his arm. When had Luffy crawled over to him?

"Lonely?"

"You…" Luffy's eyes widened. The boy must've realized something was different—out of place. The boy had shown he had an intuitive sense for the feelings of others. The fact that he knew what Ace had been feeling before he became a vampire was an indicator. "I see. Sorry. I won't bother you about it again."

"What?"

"You seemed happy, but you aren't happy. I don't get it. You aren't sad either." Luffy placed a hand over Ace's chest—where his dead heart was—with a frown on his face. Why was he trying to feel for something that no longer existed? "Nevermind." Luffy backed away and forced a smile onto his face. "You said you didn't have any siblings."

"Yeah."

"Let's be brothers. I'll be your family!" Ace blinked several times. He snickered and placed a hand over his mouth. Laughter erupted and he fell to the floor.

"Brothers? Seriously! What is with everybody and going 'let's be brothers!'" Ace let out a breath and sat up, wiping his eye. He would humor the kid. He didn't know any better. "What's the point?"

Luffy didn't seem to mind that Ace had just laughed at the idea and continued on cheerfully, "We help each other! Brothers don't always have to love each other. But having someone is better than being alone." Ave frowned and shoved the oversized straw hat onto the kid's head. Stupid kids making him feel things like this…

"Guess they don't do they? Fine. I'll be your 'brother' but don't come crying to me when it's not like you imagined it. From now on, I'll make sure no one can hurt you. That sound okay?"

"Shishishi! That makes Sabo your brother too!"

"Sabo? Oh yeah, the one who got killed." Ace hefted the neatly sliced hunks of meat over the open flame as he waited for Luffy to get on with his side of the story.

"Sabo was special. He didn't come from the Goa kingdom…"

Luffy's story captivated Ace for the entirety of the night.

…

**And stop! Hopefully I kept the whole "soulless vampire thing going pretty well. Ace still doesn't care for Luffy, but he's starting to warm up to the idea. I need to go back and fix chapter 1. I was rereading through making sure I kept continuity and I noticed screwed up some of the formatting when I transferred the document. l:/ (grouchy face)**

**So this chapter was actually kinda fluffy, but I plan on it getting really dark again. This became kind of an info dump. It's was hard to type the explanation so if anyone is confused leave me a pm or a review, whichever you prefer, and I'll try to get back to you on your question. **

**This chapter was seriously a pain to write out. Walking the fine line between an obsession and family love aspect is kind of hard in the terms of this plot. Didn't hit 3k goal on this, but I got pretty close. **

**Next chapter is…Sabo's story!**

**xxXxx: Glad you liked it! Hopefully I can keep on track with it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**3. Sabo**

"Sitting there isn't going to make the pain go away." Her figure was hidden by the light of the cellar. The man, whom was addressed, slowly sat up. Piercing eyes zeroed in on her and he absently scratched the scar on his face. "What are you going to do?" The man shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Multiple arms stretched out and cupped his face in a gentle embrace. She leaned close and whispered in a soothing, lyrical tone, "Sabo?"

The man rose and tipped his top hat over his eyes, "I was taking time for myself." He picked up the metal pipe sitting casually beside him. "Is it so wrong for me to remember my life as a human?" Sabo sighed as the woman ushered him out the door. It hadn't been much of a life, but it had been a life.

…

"You piece of crap!" There was sharp thump as the child slammed into the floor. "How dare you free _my_ property! Now I'm going to have to buy a new slave to replace the fishman that _you___lost! Do you know how rare they are?" The man slammed his foot into the child with a sneer on his face. "And you call yourself a World Noble? Hah! Pathetic! Worthless!" He brought his foot down repeatedly, striking the child on the floor.

With a meaty hand, he lifted the blonde, bloodied person off of the floor. The kid spat a pile of blood on the floor, complete with a tooth, as he stared down the man in front of him. "You're all sheep! You think you're better than everybody else?" The child smirked, "As if! You die from disease and crap and piss just like everyone else. If it wasn't for the Marines, the people would have already ripped us to shreds."

The disgusting man's lips curled upwards in a snarl, "How dare you! Guards!" The doors slammed open as a pair of armor clad men rushed the room. They bowed before the noble and awaited orders silently. Sabo's face morphed into disgust at their pathetic obedience to a dog like his father. "Take my _son_," he spat out the words like he was a disease, "to the dungeons. Make sure he never spouts such _nonsense _again.

"What?!"

"You heard me! This is that _slave's _fault! He corrupted you! I should have never let you interact, especially with a fish!"

"He wasn't a fish! He is just as intelligent as any human being!" Sabo stuck his tongue out at his father. He was already neck-deep in trouble. He didn't care if he pissed off his father more than he already was. "In fact, he's smarter than you!"

_Slap!_ Sabo's clenched his fists as the sharp sting echoed on his cheek. "I've heard enough. Guards!"

Firm hands grasped his wrists and lifted the struggling ten-year old off of the ground. Sabo swung a leg up to kick the guard in the leg. It was stopped with little effort. "Stop!" Sabo's gaze drifted back to his father. It was sick! The things these people stood for…how could they be the rulers of anything? "How can you stand to listen to him? Let me go! You know I'm right!"

"Let's go kid."

"No!" Sabo yanked against the two mightier forces pulling him out the ornate doors of his father's study. His father took out a pipe and lit it, giving his son a forlorn look.

"After his punishment is over, see to it that he is exiled from the holy land."

"You would leave me to the monsters beyond the walls?" Sabo screamed in fury as the door to the office whined as they were closed. They drug him roughly down the winding staircases of the castle-like house to the dungeon basement. Thick steel bars lined the walls in cages and the putrid smell of waste drifted from the corners. This was where disobedient slaves were kept and where Sabo would be kept.

The door to the nearby cell squealed and he was shoved to the damp brick floor. The lock clicked in the cage. "Stay put kid. The punisher will be by real soon." Sabo shuffled backwards in the cell, pushing himself against the mossy wall, to get away from the door. He had to prepare for the next chance to dash out. A shuffling sound in the corner caught his ear.

"You're a celestial dragon…but you don't have the soul of one. Who are you?" Sabo swallowed nervously and squared his shoulders. He had to look dignified even if it was his death. It was the only thing being a noble taught him that was positive.

"My name is Sabo Outlook."

"Ooohhh. You're the one who freed Fisher. I suppose I should thank you." The young girl stepped out of the shadows. "My name is Koala." The girl was deceptively tiny—frail—as she squatted in front of Sabo. Her brown hair was matted and formed and almost literal rat's nest atop her head. She possessed few tattered rags that did little to hide her thin frame.

"You said soul…does that mean?" He didn't want to finish the sentence. There were rumors that in the sea below there were insane monsters; there were monsters that stole souls, brutally murdered humans, and, worse, masqueraded as the same beings they killed.

"I'm a half-blood Kitsune from my father's side. As you say, I am a monster. Does it bother you?" She paused as she pondered her question. "Of course it would. You live in the "Holy Land" where there are no monsters."

"So…the rumors really are true?"

"Yes. We're really careful." She thumbed her lip as she thought, "Like the Whitebeard Pirates. They are all vampires, but they hide it under the guise of pirates. That's not to say that there aren't human pirates though." Sabo let out a sigh of relief.

"Then…they aren't as common as the rumors say?"

"The Marines are aware, but they can't do much. But, shouldn't you be more worried about the monsters here?"

"Wha-?" The sound of heavy boots interrupted his inquiry with the strange girl. The punisher was coming! Sabo tensed and hid in the corner of the cell. The metal grated against the stone flooring as a burly man with beady eyes stepped inside.

"I heard you. Don't even dare try to hide from me. I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to torture one of _your_ kind." He laughed. The man's voice was almost as hideous as his appearance. "Such a _loving _father you have." He pulled the whip in his hands taught. Sabo clenched his fists. He had to go now!

Sabo made a lunge for the miniscule gap between the door and the path to freedom. Sabo grinned as his head made it through the gap in the cage. It wasn't quick enough. A hand grasped the tail of his coat and hefted him off the ground upside down. No! He couldn't be caught here! The lure of freedom still called to him with it siren's call as the man dragged him into a room reeking of blood and vomit.

The man threw him into a wooden chair and snapped the metal bracers around his wrists and legs. "Now then…where should I start?" The man's vile smile only grew as he removed a nearby torch from the wall and inched it ever closer to the left side of his face. "Now, now, stay still little boy. You'll be screaming for mercy soon enough. I can't have you scared early can I?"

…

Sabo was glad that would be the only "punishment" he would receive. He had been informed multiple times during his torture session due to the man's dissatisfaction of only having "one go." This also meant he had been excessively violent during the encounter. Sabo grasped the disfigured burn scar on his left eye. He was lucky he hadn't lost the eye immediately, but the burn would leave a hideous scar.

Koala crawled over to him and pulled his head into her lap. "Shhh," she whispered in a soothing voice, "I will help you." Her hand, cool to the touch, ran over Sabo's eye. It eased the ache and allowed his battered body to relax a margin. He cracked open his unharmed eye to see the faint glow emitted from the palm of her hand.

"Why would you help me?"

"Not all monsters are bad. Take, for example, Fishman Island. Whitebeard understands the dangers of letting unknown threats wreak havoc on unprotected areas. In return, he takes what he wants from the islands he has claimed. You think this to be cruel but in actuality, far less people die." She ushered Sabo onto his stomach and began soothing the bruises and cuts on his back. "Even monsters have honor."

She ran a hand through his blood matted hair. "I can sense you want to know the truth of the world." Sabo clenched his fists. Why wouldn't he? Mariejois was full of ignorant buffoons who could only hurt others. They were no better than the monsters who roamed the seas below. "There is a lullaby sung by the monsters." Without waiting for his permission, Koala opened her mouth and began to sing.

_Hush, little mortal—don't close your eyes,_

_Call us monsters call us thieves,_

_Hidden with the origins lies mountains of treasures,_

_Gold, silver, and knowledge—it shall all be yours,_

_The knowledge we pass on. _

_For we are monsters,_

_Monsters with dignity and our own compassion,_

_Different from the normal monsters,_

_We ask you, _

"_Gather ye sins," and seek out the truth called "One Piece."_

_Just now that from the dawn of time,_

_We have existed to punish those who seek far too much._

The song ended and Sabo was left with a strange sense of irony. He chuckled softly as he stared up at the optimistic Koala. "That isn't much of a lullaby."

"We only sing it to humans we believe are worthy to discover the truth. "Gather ye sins" refers to the pieces of the Compass of Avarice. I cannot tell you how to find them, but I think you will do great things should you find the truth behind the One Piece."

"I'm just a human."

"And that is why you can find it." She placed a delicate finger on Sabo's mouth. "Sleep. Something big is about to happen." Sabo tried to resist as a strange spell of sleep suddenly overcame him. His eyes drooped lower and lower, darkness overtaking his vision, as he fought to stay awake. Sleep called and he felt safe leaving things to Koala. If she had wanted, she could have killed him at any moment. He barely heard the final whisper in his ear, "Enjoy what life you have left."

Sabo was rudely awoken as tremors shook his cell. The other slaves were shouting to be released—to not leave them to die. What the heck was going on up there? The thick acrid smell of smoke drifted into the cells and Sabo ducked to the floor. It would be _very_ bad if he happened to inhale some a lungful of smoke. They wouldn't treat his injuries. There was no way they would treat smoke inhalation. Exiles were seen as even lesser beings than normal citizens.

Sabo opened teary eyes to search for Koala. She had been so nice to him; there was no way he was going to leave her behind if he found a way out. "Koala! Are you there?"

"Sabo! Fisher came back for us!"

Fisher Tiger came back? Sabo had freed him so he didn't have to return! Why would he throw away his freedom? "What?!"

"He's started a rebellion up above. I can hear the shouts!" Koala tugged on the steel cage along with the shouting slaves. "Tiger! Someone! Let us go!" Sabo remained on his spot on the ground. Didn't she know that nobody would come down here?

"Stop it! No one would come down here."

"Is that what you think Sabo?" That voice! Sabo gasped as Tiger unlocked their cage. Sabo crawled out with assistance from Koala.

"Tiger, why did you come back?"

"I don't care for humans, but I would have felt bad leaving the slaves and you to be punished." Tiger frowned as he noticed the blistering wound on the left side of his face. "Did they do that to you?"

Sabo nodded with a grimace as the reminder forced the pain to flare up again. "They exiled me too. I had it coming though. I was too preachy and caused too many problems for their taste." Fisher didn't say anything, but he assisted Koala in helping him walk. "Wait! I have to help the others get out of here!"

"I've got it handled. See?" He pointed behind him where the other rampaging ex-slaves were freeing the people still in the cage. "You can't walk on your own and I doubt the monster hybrid can carry you for long either. She's got as many wounds as you." Sabo looked away in guilt. He had allowed his father to abuse these people.

"Tiger, we've got to go! The Admiral will get here soon!" Tiger nodded and hefted the small ten year old on his back. The flames were getting too high for their liking. It had already consumed a quarter of Mariejois and showed no sign of calming. He shifted Sabo into a more comfortable position and took off running to the nearest cliff. The slaves followed in a frenzy, silhouettes against the backdrop of fire.

Sabo paled as he saw the sheer cliff drop coming upon them. They were trapped unless Fisher could jump off of a cliff and survive. Where would he go even if they did survive? He was now associated with Fisher Tiger which meant the Grand Line was no longer safe for him. The four blues were crawling with Marines from the pirate attacks. He felt Tiger shift his weight beneath him. Screw proper planning, he was going to die the moment Fisher jumped.

"Hold on boy. This is going to be a hard escape." Sabo nodded in a half daze. Koala was beside Fisher with some hybrid form of a fox and human.

"I can escape on my own. Be sure to take care of Sabo. He's a great kid." Fisher's eyes widened as he realized just what the girl was.

"A kitsune?" He regained his bearings. "I understand. Be careful." With a might leap, Tiger flung himself over the side of the cliff. Sabo screamed bloody murder as they fell the ten thousand feet to the ocean below them. There was too much force to break the surface tension of the water gently! They would splatter the moment they hit! Sabo suddenly felt light headed.

For the second time that day, he passed out.

The second time he awoke was aboard a ship. It wasn't a spectacular ship by any means. It smelled of rotting wood and musty fabrics, but it was floating. He let out a moan and forced his body to sit up. The room wasn't distinctive from any other room and full of various knickknacks. For example, why was there a bottle with an ear made of wood in it? Sabo could not fathom a single reason to keep such a thing. It wasn't even aesthetically pleasing—just creepy.

"Where am I?"

"You're onboard a ship headed towards East Blue. I owed a favor to Fisher Tiger, so I offered to treat you on my ship." A beautiful women with slightly tanned skin and crystal blue eyes was giving him an amused expression. She was twirling a strand of raven hair around one finger. "He said the Grand Line was no longer safe."

"So he put me on a ship headed to East Blue?"

"And gave you medical treatment. Unfortunately, the burn on your eye is there to stay. It was too deep. Your vision will be fine though."

"I guess he made the right call. East Blue is the easiest to protect yourself in. What island are you going to drop me off at?"

"I'm meeting the leader of an organization who goes by the name of Monkey D. Dragon. Goa Kingdom happens to be his hometown."

"What?" Sabo hissed in anger, "You're going to sell me out to the noble there?"

Robin chuckled. "Quite the contrary, Mr. Gentleman. It's the best place to hide because it's citizens never leave the walls. There's a lush forest full of animals you can grow stronger with. You'll enjoy all the freedom you want."

"But…what of the monsters? I've seen one! I know they exist!" _Even if Koala was nice, there are mean ones too, _Sabo tacked on mentally. Robin's lips tilted up in a smile.

"That's why there are slayers to put the nasty rumors to rest."

…

"Robin," Sabo called after his mentor. "Do you think Luffy is doing alright?" The quiet woman gave a small smile of encouragement from her seat beside Sabo.

"It's been three years. I'm sure Luffy has learned to survive without you." Sabo tugged on his top hat nervously. He had no idea why Dragon favored dark hallways. He could have at least added a few windows to add some bright atmosphere in their home base. "I'm sure you'll meet again one day."

Robin pushed open the door into a spacious galley. Sabo took a deep breath to quell his nervousness as he took his spot farthest right of the line of recruits up on stage. His skills and talents had been cultivated for the past three years. Sabo rubbed the scar over his eye. It was a bad nervous habit of his whenever he thought about the past. Robin's whispered words echoed in his ears from across the room.

"Isn't that right, Slayer of Fire, Sabo Outlook?"

…

**A/N: I've totally deviated with an AUverse now. I shall call it Monster!verse for this story universe. I decided to split Sabo's past into several different chapters spread throughout the story. I'm not even sure it will be 12 chapters anymore. It might be longer. Dang my overactive mind.**

**I need to keep writing on Thundering Seas and my Hunter Hunter fic, but they feel poorly written compared to this plot bunny I have had (has perfectionism issues -_-)**

**To my reviewers:**

**Glad you both enjoyed the plot. I was actually surprised to hear three people say the same thing. 0_o Hopefully you enjoyed Sabo's little flashback as well. I deviated **_**way**_** off from cannon in his backstory though. Instead of his parents wanting to be royalty, they are royalty. Plot bunny ran off with my original idea. **


	4. Chapter 4

**4. Terror of Comprehension**

"Ace!" Luffy whined as he circled the sleeping man. He had just been getting to the good part when the vampire had the nerve to fall asleep on him. Luffy had seen the futility in trying to wake his new brother and instead fell asleep leaning against the vampire. Luffy knew it was strange to trust the vampire, but he had the feeling that Ace would never hurt anyone he personally knew. Sabo had called it his natural instinct. "Stop falling asleep! You slept all night!"

Ace let out a grunt as he fell face first into the dirt courtesy of Luffy's foot. Rubbing the dirt out of his eyes, Ace sat up in a daze. His cursed narcolepsy had followed even into his vampire life. Didn't vampire cure everything? "Luffy?" He shook his head a few times. "What time is it?"

"Time for food! You wouldn't wake up!" Ace's eyes widened as he realized a key detail he had been missing.

"Crap! Whitebeard's going to have my head if I don't get back to the ship! No one knows where I am!" He had long overstayed his visitation hours by himself. But what if he left Luffy? One of his crewmembers might decide to attack him, rubber or not.

"Shishishi! You better get back to your crew then." Ace nodded, noting Luffy had a downcast expression.

"Geez, don't look like that." Ace removed the medallion he wore around his neck and handed it to Luffy. Vampires weren't made for this caring nonsense. Ace decided it would be best to ask Whitebeard since Thatch had a tendency to jump around and Marco knew about as much his did. Luffy turned the medallion over curiously noting the nicks and marks on the object. It had been passed to him by his mother, but he didn't need it. "Keep that with you."

"An amulet?"

"If anyone who isn't human bothers you, show them that medallion and say 'a Whitebeard Pirate gave it to me.' You should be able to figure out the rest okay?" Luffy ran his fingers over the bone sculpture on the front and paused. He rubbed a spot for a few moments until a frown came over his face. "What?"

"There's blood on it."

"Yeah. What of it?"

"Who's is it?" Ace snatched the medallion back from Luffy and searched for the red splotch the kid was worried about. _A little blood never hurt any—ooh! He wants to know who it came from, _Ace thought with amusement. It was right on the side. It had been fairly recent too at about a week in age. The smell still lingered but it was hardly noticeable unless you focused.

"It's mine. It must've happened when I was turned." Luffy silently took the Medallion back. Ace backed off a bit. The kid was increasing the number of times he was giving Ace the kicked puppy look. It shouldn't have worked but it seemed only Luffy could make a vampire bow to his whims.

"Did it hurt?"

"Luffy! Don't break it! You're gripping it too hard!"

"Did it hurt?" Ace sighed and leaned up against a nearby tree. It seemed the kid wouldn't let him go until he got all of the facts.

"I can't remember. It's…fuzzy." Ace ran a hand through his hair. Luffy's "look" refused to leave his face. "Will you stop? I'm fine now." Ace reached out to give Luffy a pat on the head and froze. What was he doing getting all friendly with this human?

"Ace? Are you okay? You look like you're in pain." He had to get back to Whitebeard now! Ace pulled his iconic orange hat over his head and huffed in annoyance.

"I'm fine. Go back wherever it is you live." Ace ignored the cries for him to come back. He had a crew to get back to. There was no way he had become attached to some _human_. His chest was filled with relief and joy as the ship came into sight. He could get away from the annoying nuances Luffy had been intent on instilling in his head. A mob of blonde hair popped up over the cliff side.

"You were gone the entire night. You missed breakfast too yoi. You know how Thatch hates when people do that." Ace placed a hand on his pounding head. There was too much to comprehend about being a vampire. It got confusing as hell at points but also as fun as possible on the opposite spectrum. To make matters worse, Whitebeard said no killing except on special occasions or allotments when docking at a Marine base. The man seemed more human than the majority of his crew! "You need to eat or the bloodlust will get worse." Marco reached out a hand but Ace slapped it away.

"I don't need you _help_!" He hissed and staggered on his feet. Marco was right but there was no way he would admit it. He didn't want to eat bloody meat. It was disgusting and did little to fend off the cravings.

"You can go into town later tonight. Go eat before I tie you up and force you in there."

"Why do you care?" Marco gave him a lazy look before pointing at the tattoo on his chest.

"The coven takes care of its members. Plus, despite what you say, we are brothers." Ace wanted to beat up whoever invented that word. Everybody seemed to be throwing it around with disregard for the circumstances of the recipient in the conversation.

"We aren't brothers." Ace shoved Marco away again and turned towards the galley hall. The flaming chicken wouldn't lay off his back until he did so. It was the best way to end a conversation in this incident. He made sure to make it extra loud too. The entire ship could be woken up for all he cared. Noting he was by himself, he spoke up once more in a softer tone. "We aren't brothers."

"If it isn't Whitebeard!" Shanks let out a boisterous greeting as the giant man took a seat across from him. Whitebeard didn't let the smile fool him. Shanks was exactly as his name suggested—a backstabber. It was not in the traditional sense but more in the fact that his smile could betray all hostilities if he so wished. Shanks was a generally pleasant person however. "You hardly ever leave the New World! What brings you to Dawn Island?"

"I received news of your movement into East Blue. I wanted to meet the newest Yonko." Whitebeard grinned at the red haired man. "Come to visit a lover perhaps?"

"What?! I made sure I covered my tracks! How did you even find out? And I don't have a lover." Shanks averted his eyes to anywhere but the older man's face. Whitebeard sat there with a grin on his face. Shanks wasn't getting out of this one. Seeing he wasn't doing as good as he hoped he let out a long sigh. "…Yes. Her name's Makino. Don't touch her or I'll make sure you burn."

Whitebeard smiled at the brat's antics. Shanks had always been a protective man ever since his time on Roger's ship. "I'll keep my word that none of the Whitebeard Pirates will harm her."

"You better, or I'll call up Roger's witch. I know the deal you two made." Whitebeard grunted at the mention of the dastardly woman. He should have never taken her up on her offer. If word got out that she held his only weakness, the Marines and the Slayers would rush to the nearest port and take to sea to hunt all of them down.

"She's a wannabe succubus brat. I'm surprised Rouge ever let Roger near her."

"She wasn't that bad." Shanks motioned for one of his crew members to go grab another keg of sake. "Rayleigh is still in contact with her and Roger always spoke highly of her talent."

"Is that so? Gurarara! Roger was one of the most daring men I've ever met, so imagine my surprise when one of my sons show up with his son in tow!"

"Ace? But he went missing when he was a child! Everyone thought he was dead."

"He is now." Shanks's face drained of color and the emperor set his mug on the wooden table. "You said your son found him. Does that mean…?"

"Yes. I would say his emotions are still in a jumble. It takes most of us twenty years to go back out into the normal human society. I wouldn't expect him to be friendly."

Shanks's slammed his fist on the table. Drinks spilled and stained the floor, but he didn't' care. His captain's son had been made an actual monster. They all held a fondness for Roger and by extension his family and none of them had been there when the kid needed it. "Damn it Whitebeard! Why didn't you stop them?"

"My sons do what they want. He was already changed when they brought him before me. I keep control of them, but I must allow them a break. The blood lust of vampires is not easily staved." The member sent off earlier for a keg handed his load off to Whitebeard. **"**Many of my sons are ten times better at showing mercy than they were when I found them. The fact that they care for each other—beyond attachments—in the coven is a big step. You cannot deny the sea is safer than it was twenty years ago."

"You expect me to give an appropriate response to that?" Shanks grit his teeth. Whitebeard was living proof that vampires could be civil, but Ace had always been closed off and stubborn. He would deny his feelings more vigorously than the other vampires. It was a legendary feat for most vampires to accomplish and always required outside prompting. Even the great Whitebeard had to seek assistance in his arduous recovery.

"No." Whitebeard stood and glanced in the direction of the port town. "When we meet on the Grand Line, brat, it will be in battle." He knew he was no longer welcomed on the ship nor did he desire to stay longer than necessary. "…if you are up to the challenge. Gurarara!"

…

It was surprising when Ace nocked on Whitebeard's door instead of joining the hunting parties heading towards the city. The boy's color was pale, yet he was stubbornly resisting the pull of his blood lust in favor of whatever was on his mind. Ace had denied being a son, but it seemed he was warming up to the idea. Whitebeard motioned for the boy to step closer. The boy made little argument and complied, sitting on the bed as he awaited rebuke for invading Whitebeard's personal space.

"What is it, Ace?"

"I…I think I have a problem, but I don't know what to do about it. You've been around for a while right?" Ace ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. He was taking a big step here and only because the other commanders made no sense. Asking Whitebeard was rather…embarrassing. Whitebeard directed all his attention to his soon-to-be son.

"I've been around for over a hundred years."

"I met this kid in the forest." Ace smiled as he said the name. Luffy was a bundle of energy. Hopefully, the medallion was keeping him safe for now. "His name's Luffy. I don't want to be attached to a human, but I can't seem to shake off this feeling. If he got hurt…"

"You don't know how to handle it." Whitebeard rubbed his chin in thought. Vampires were notorious for being oblivious to their own emotions besides the obvious 'create fear and terror' based ones. "You should accept it."

"Huh? But that's the reason why we travel in a coven—so we don't have to deal with humans!"

"Have you met Namur?" Ace shook his head. It was likely he was asked to stay back for his own safety as well as sparing Ace during the adjustment period. "He runs a ship full of humans."

"Humans? We have a ship like that?"

"Yes. I asked them to stay back for a few days when Thatch brought you onboard." Ace frowned. There was no reason to keep humans with them, Ace thought. Humans were fragile! They would grow old and die…just like Luffy would. "You would not be the first vampire to have an attachment with a human. Accidents happen but they are not always bad."

"Then…I can take Luffy with us?"

"Gurarara! I don't see why not!" Whitebeard's eyes roamed over the shaky form of his son. "You need to feed."

"Yeah. Thanks shitty geezer."

"Gurararara! Cheeky brat! Get of here!" Ace smirked and scurried out of the room, all tension gone from the boy's form. Whitebeard reclined on his bed. He was going to get yet another son. He couldn't wait. They would be an even larger family. They still

…

"Can you believe this? 'Pirates or something more sinister? The Night Stalker strike again!' If the Marines actually did their job, people wouldn't be afraid to go out at night!" Dadan threw the latest paper down onto the floor boards. It was the second string of murders over the past few days. No one in their right mind would be traveling now. "It's ridiculous!" Luffy peaked his head out from around the corner at the fuming Dadan. The woman had been in an irate mood ever since Garp had come barging in several days ago.

"Boss calm down!"

"There's no one to steal from! They're all cowering in their houses!"

"But boss!" Magra held up his hands in a calming gesture as Dadan preceded to wreck the hideout.

"Shishishi! It's caused by pirates!" Luffy popped out from his hiding spot behind the wall. Dadan froze, a tick mark evident, as she towered over Luffy.

You _knew_?" Luffy choked as hands grasped his neck. "You little runt! Why didn't you tell me? Who is it? I'm going to kill them! None of those nobles are coming outside of the city anymore! How are we supposed to make any money?" Dadan released Luffy as an idea dawned on her. Luffy knew who they were so maybe he could convince them to stop! "You know who they are?"

"Yep." Luffy pulled out the medallion Ace gave him. "Ace gave this to me. He mentioned someone named Whitebeard…" Every bandit froze, eyes bugging out their heads, in disbelief. "He saved me from a bear."

"W-W-Whitebeard?! What is an emperor doing out in the East Blue? No, not even that! How did he hide such huge ships?" Luffy shrugged and dashed to the door. Pirates did what they wanted. Whitebeard could be in the East Blue if he wanted to just like Shanks. He was glad he did too because now he wasn't alone! Ace would surely come back! "Hey Luffy get back here! You need to do your chores!"

"No way!" Luffy dashed out the door leaving behind a group of exasperated bandits.

"I swear he has no sense of self-preservation!"

"I blame Garp," Dogra deadpanned. The bandits nodded sagely behind Dogra. It was always easy to blame it on Garp. It was even more so when the person in question was related to him.

"He'll be okay…right?"

"Who knows…"

…

**A/N: This chapter may not be up to par or as long as I would like it. I've been super sick for the past four days and a good portion was written when I wasn't able to pay much attention so please excuse errors/bad writing on my part. I also wasn't able to sleep, so I was typing this up (or playing gw2). I wanted to get this chapter out for you guys though! I'm starting to think I should label this hurt/comfort rather than horror…**

**I said I would only update every Saturday or Sunday, but I am freaking addicted to this plot bunny (Says as an army of plot bunnies comes chasing after me bent on having them chosen as a favorite.) Thinking about starting a blog for my fics if anyone is interested…**

**Props to anyone who can guess where I got the medallion from!**

**Till next time!**

**Reviews:**

**Impstar: Well glad you like Luffy then. I **like** Luffy but sometimes his behavior can fray the nerves.**

**Satan-chan: Interesting penname you chose there. I wasn't really aiming for cute, but whatever you enjoy is fine. It'll get much darker **soon**. I'm just setting up the entire scenario.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I took the time to edit. *Shifty eyes glance back and forth* Yes! Step one in better writing accomplished! *Dramatic pose at the sky***

**I cannot guarantee my grammar as I stand at 80% accuracy. *Sighs***

…

**5. Freedom is What You Make Of It**

The hours ticked by and Ace watched the sun as it began to set. Between his narcolepsy attacks and insomnia, he had not been getting as much sleep as the rest of the crew. Adjusting from a daytime to a night time schedule was not as easy as it sounded. Ace yawned and rested his cheek in the palm of his hand. Maybe it was better to go searching for Luffy instead. The boy had failed to mention where he should meet him at and thus his current predicament of waiting at the old campsite from earlier.

"Ace!" Luffy shouted excitedly as he ran down the mountainside. Ace twisted his head towards the sound of Luffy's voice. Luffy dashed down the steep incline with a toothy grin and a wave at his newest brother. "I knew you would come back!" A branch snapped and Luffy's grin morphed into a scream as he flew down the mountain. Ace attempted to catch the rubber boy but snatched thin air instead as the wind was knocked from his lungs.

Luffy soared straight into Ace forcing them both to go stumbling down the mountain. On instinct, he wrapped his arms around the boy. Rocks cut deep into the skin and he forced his body to turn in time for them to slam into a tree at the bottom. Rubbing his aching head—since being a fire logia user and a vampire seemed to do nothing for blunt force—his eyes roved over Luffy looking for injuries. "Luffy…are you alright?"

"Ow!" Luffy rubbed his head. A sharp tang hit the air and Ace's hands snapped to the back of Luffy's head. Tears were welling in the small child's eyes as he resisted the urge to wail.

"I swear you're so reckless!" This was bad. Ace didn't have any bandages to stem the bleeding. He turned the boy around in his lap and ran his finger over the gash. Luckily, he wouldn't need stitches, but it needed pressure put on it soon. "You got cut but you'll be fine." Ace grinned and tugged on the hair, "Bet you wouldn't like the bald spot from the stitches."

"Not funny Ace!" Ace sighed and threw the kid over his shoulder. "Hey! Let me go! I'm fine!"

"No you're not," Ace grunted as the boy struggled against his captor, "now stay still or I won't play with you anymore!" Luffy's struggles ceased and Ace turned to the path they had come tumbling down. A clear route of broken trees and crumbling rocks marked the ascent. _I can't take him to the ship with him bleeding like this._ "Luffy, where do you stay?"

"With Dadan."

"And where might that be?"

"On top of the mountain." Ace set Luffy on the ground and knelt in front of him. Luffy gave him pointed straight up. A thought complete with Luffy's disgruntled voice filled his mind, "_with_ _mountain bandits."_ Ace flinched at the feeling of his mind being invaded. It felt like a needle prick eliciting an involuntary pain. A vague memory of Thatch doing something similar swam to the front of his mind. Thatch had picked out his name despite never telling him.

"Why do you live with mountain bandits Luffy?"

"How did you know that?"

"I'm not sure myself." Ace rubbed the back of his head his head in frustration. They needed to get Luffy's wound treated before every vampire in a five mile radius came after them. "Take me to them. We need to get you treated before any other vampires come." Ace bit his lip as the smell of the blood started to prick at the restrained bloodlust. Luffy's actual blood smelled nothing like rubber. The old saying was true: you never know when a devil fruit will be useful. Ace botched his solo hunt after his chat with Whitebeard; therefore, he needed to join the hunting party as soon as possible. Narcolepsy could get damned annoying at those important moments in life.

"Other vampires?"

"…and me. You don't want to torture your brother like this do you?"

Luffy instantly started scrambling up the rocks. The sharpened pieces of gravel dug into the boy's limbs and Ace let out a sigh. Sure, he accepted what Whitebeard had told him and sure, he was making an effort. It didn't help when the kid was being and idiot and opening more wounds! He restrained his hands from lashing out at the boy as he sped after him. He caught Luffy when he went tumbling over his head down the hill. "I can do it by myself! I'll get fixed up right away!"

"You're making things worse." Ace deadpanned as Luffy went tumbling backwards. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to go down a one way path?"

"Nope."

"Well then, "Ace smirked, wrestling Luffy in his arms, "We aren't breaking any rules!" Ace leapt upwards above the canopy of the trees. Luffy whooped as the pair went shooting back down to earth. Ace set the trembling child back down and brushed a bit of dirt off his legs from the impact. "Did that scare you?" Luffy didn't stop trembling. Ace was getting concerned. What if he broke Luffy? What would Whitebeard say? All his effort would have gone to waste! "Luffy?"

A warm fuzzy feeling overtook his sense and Ace cursed mentally. His worry was causing one of the attacks again! He heard it was a D. problem, but he seemed to get it worse than anyone else! His senses went numb. The impact with the ground sparked no pain—his pain receptors were already asleep. His vision became clouded. Sleeping in the dirt didn't seem like a bad idea at the moment. Luffy was a strong kid who could take care of himself. Rubber boy would be fine for a moment.

"Awesome! Can we do it again?" There was a loud snore and Luffy's attention went back to his brother. "Ace?" Ace was so weird. Why did he fall asleep like that? It was still day time! He came out here because he was hungry, but Ace wouldn't let him go until he got treated. Luffy groaned and sat down on the forest floor. He was hungry!

The view, however, was perfect. The canopy opened up giving a wide view of the ocean and the sun high in the sky. There was a gentle, cooling breeze that brought along the fresh scents of the sea breeze mixing with the aromas of the flowering vegetation. He would just sit here until Ace woke up. His mind wandered to Sabo and Shanks. Someday, he was going to go out to sea and get off this island. He would be the greatest pirate that ever sailed.

Luffy plucked a flower and twirled it around absently in his hand. _Maybe Ace will take me off the island one day._ "What are you looking at?" Luffy jumped at Ace's sudden voice.

Luffy stuck out a tongue. "Don't scare me like that!" He said, "I was watching the sea 'cause you wouldn't wake up . Sabo always said the sea was freedom."Luffy leaned his head on his arms with a gaze full of longing. "Do you think the sea is freedom, Ace?"

Ace sat down beside Luffy. There were things he couldn't answer. Freedom…was he free? No matter what he did, he would be hated for who and what he was. He could do virtually anything he wanted in exchange. Did that equate to freedom? "I don't know."

"How do you not know?"

"I just don't. Drop it will you Lu?"

The question bounced in his mind. He had felt free but Luffy had described it differently. Did that mean he was free? He didn't have the answer to that. Neither the gentle caws of the seagulls nor the lapping waves down below could tell him that. Whitebeard had told him to accept things as they were. If he accepted his new friendship with Luffy—and his new state of mind—would he be free then?

Ace still couldn't answer the question.

…

Sabo fought the urge to bolt as Robin led him deeper into the dark abyss of the basement. This was wrong. Recruits—especially fifteen year olds like himself—were not supposed to be down here. Dragon had strictly forbidden anyone setting foot in the strategic headquarters beyond himself and the Chief of Staff. The winding stone staircase led them deeper into the bowels of the base. Robin held the only light in her hand, unwavering in her determination to lead Sabo into deep trouble.

"Robin," Sabo called out to his mentor. A fraction of a smile graced her lips. The woman loved to taunt new recruits but it seemed he was getting more than the fair share as of late. "Where are you taking me?"

Robin held up a finger to her lips. Those blue eyes always seemed to hold a form of mockery whenever she spared the time to glance in his direction. Whatever benevolence her kind was known for could not be seen in her eyes. Robin veered from acceptable standards on almost every occasion. She played out whims and operated as a spy, rejecting social stereotypes of what she should be. "A slayer lies in wait, watching—listening—but never speaking until the time is right." Sabo wanted to ask when "the right time" was but refrained. Robin's favoritism towards Sabo did not exempt him from the nasty habit of breaking the bones of recruits.

The staircase finally ended and Robin set her torch in one of the nearby hooks. In the faint light, he could make out a strange door full of strange symbols and carvings. On it was a depiction an ancient war of winged men and people controlling monsters . Why was she showing him this? "Sabo, what do you know of vampires and the other creatures we slay?"

Sabo swallowed nervously, knowing it would not be the answer Robin wanted to hear. "They all take pleasure in killing humans. That is why slayers are born—so that we can protect the peace."

"A textbook definition." She sighed from her position against the ornate door. "What makes a vampire a 'true' vampire within their covens? What separates the monsters from the other monsters?" This information was new to him and Sabo wracked his mind for the answer. All he knew is that they were beings of chaos incapable of love. They were no different from any other monster he heard about. "I expected more from you Sabo. I'm disappointed."

"I'm barely out of training, Robin." Robin gave him a pointed look before turning back to the door. Arms sprouted all along her body in a half-circle. She placed each palm on a the series of grooves in the door and turned. Pictures of spears lined up followed by a click and a hiss as the air pressure whooshed out of the mysterious room. Robin nudged him forward and Sabo hesitantly placed a single foot in the amphitheater. "W-what is this?"

"The secret behind the slayers." She ran a hand over a glass tube shining with a brilliant light. It wasn't the only one. Littered all over the room were large glass tubes that stretched from the bottom of the floor to the ceiling. The lights dappled the room in a hue of rainbow colors as they pulsed in and out of synch with each other. "Have you ever wondered what happens to the soul of a vampire?" She opened the door and pulled out a small shining light. This one was a dazzling blue color that beat like a heart in the palm of her hand.

"That's…a soul? Why do the slayers have them? Why are you showing me this?" Sabo wished the comforting cold of his pipe with him but Robin ensured his safety. It was only supposed to be a mental exercise; how wrong that turned out to be. Safety was definitely relative this and the other slayers punish or even kill him for this borderline treason. Robin's activities were an enigma to him and everyone in the guild but clearly dangerous. But, this danger brought with it an intense curiosity. What did Robin do behind Dragon's back?

"There was a time long ago when the soldiers of an ancient kingdom would give up their entire morality and understanding of the world around them to fight off the insurgent army." Sabo's mind suddenly clicked as the pieces came together in his mind. Robin didn't need to finish.

"They became the first vampires…"

"Along with the first Devil Fruit users." Robin stuck the soul back into its prison. Sabo felt sad for whoever it belonged to. Thousands of people were trapped and compacted, unable to escape, from the glass. To be able to look out at the world but never touch had to be the epitome of suffering. The husks they left behind would only turn to suffering if the soul ever returned to the owner. "Naturally, this became dangerous so the slayers—the exact opposite—were formed to combat them when they ran amok."

"Robin! What are you thinking?" Sabo was growing more and more frantic as the truths began to spill from her lips. The truth was his to seek out. Robin was ruining the fun of the discovery. But, there was something far worse waiting for them in this room. A nasty, brutish aura encompassed his senses— it made his adrenaline rush in his veins.

"Sa—"

"You should really listen to the boy, Robin." Robin spun on her feet. She let out a ragged gasp as the hand latched around her neck. Blood red eyes pierced daggers through Sabo's form as he shrunk back from the two fighting beings. Both held much greater power than he did. Robin would be fine. Nothing could kill Robin. "You're at it _again_? Do you remember what happened the last time you showed this to someone?"

"No—"

"Quiet!" Sabo was able to get a better glimpse of the man now. His strange electric blue hair was fashioned into a ducktail. His hair was the least of Sabo's worries when his eyes fell on the man's massive bulk. "I don't want to hear your excuses. Dragon trusted you—I trusted you—and you betrayed us. Dragon told me to keep you in check this time." Regret was etched on his face as he visibly mustered his courage. In the next instant, Robin landed in a heap at his feet. Ignoring the leader he injured, the man reached out with a hand. "Forget everything you saw here."

Sabo felt a haze settling over his mind. His body swayed back and forth in a trance, eyes lingering on the man's form, drifting on his feet as he repeated, "Forget everything I saw here." The ground rushed up to meet him and his eyes slid closed.

He didn't fail to notice the row of statues in the back. _Weird statues…that one almost looks like Gold Roger._ His traitorous mind screamed that wasn't possible. The slayers avoided pirates unless it benefited them. There was no way an infamous man of the underworld like Gold Roger would be carved in an ancient statue. Sabo's mind drifted into blackness, all memories of what he saw vanishing in an instant.

…

"Luffy," Ace said, "we need to get going." That was enough sightseeing for one day. Luffy was _going_ to get that wound on his head disinfected, mental diversions be damned, no matter what. Watching Luffy run circles around his legs, it would be no easy feat.

"I want food!"

"We'll get food later Luffy!"

"Food!" Ace sighed and placed a hand on his forehead. Why did he have to like this kid again? Stupid vampire rules.

"Fine!" Ace said, "Go hunting by yourself! If it gets infected, it's your fault idiot!" Ace muttered curses under his breath. He had a town to go to. Luffy was too much trouble to deal with at the moment. Ace glanced back at a teary-eyed Luffy. "No."

"Fine. I'll go but only if you let me ride your shoulders!"

"What?" Ace bit out, "Why?"

"Because Ace is fast and it looks fun." Ace reluctantly let the child climb up onto his shoulders. "This is awesome! Everything's so tall!" There was a sharp tug on his hair.

"Hey! I'm not a horse!"

"Onward! Go Ace! Faster! Move!" Ace gripped the boy's legs and got into a running stance.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you!"

Luffy's home turned out to be a quaint little hut set in the serenity of the woods…run by bandits. Don't let the gently swaying linen on the line fool you. The place was a madhouse. They hadn't been on the plot of land for more than five seconds when a loud crash brought all thoughts of scenery musings to a halt. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU FAILED?!"

There was a yelp. "B-boss…not stop! Please!" A nearby window shattered. Ace pushed Luffy to the ground, protecting him from the shards and the unfortunate man that flew over their heads. Peeking up from beneath their hats, they watched in silence as more screaming men were thrown out the windows. Ace didn't know how to respond to this. On the bright side, he now understood where Luffy's lack of manners came from.

"Luffy?"

"Yeah?"

"Hurry up and get those bandages."

"Right." Luffy hurried off. There were more clashes, bangs, and—Ace swore—a shrieking cat. He didn't even want to know where the last sound came from. Luffy trotted out of the house sporting more bruises and grinning from ear to ear. "Ace I got them!"

This was getting ridiculous.

…

"It seems Ace finally showed up to the hunting party!" Thatch waved at the approaching figure in the distance. They were about to set off thinking the wayward Ace was going to skip yet another night. Marco insisted that they stay until he showed, but the others felt unsure about the prospects of Ace showing up. It wouldn't be the first night and no one knew where he was going. As his sire and coven member, Thatch was being held responsible for his wellbeing until he man settled into the routine.

Marco , who stood patiently beside Thatch, watched the assembled group with curiosity and boredom. There was no conceivable reason to stay here when Ace never showed up. "Where has he been?"

"I've seen him run into the woods a couple of times."

"You don't think he's been feeding on animals do you?" The pair paused as the thought ran through their heads. Ace seemed awfully stubborn and he never did show up for the hunts despite his previous exclamations of wanting to strike back at the town. His interest in Dawn Island visibly waned within a short period. Thatch forced bloody meat down his throat earlier when he had come in pale as a sheet. Ace didn't seem to be the type but all the evidence added up. "He wouldn't, yoi."

"I think he did."

"He has no reason to."

"How else do you explain his strange behavior then?" Marco shrugged his shoulders. If Ace wanted to feed off of animals, more power to him. It was unusual but not unheard of for a vampire to prefer animal blood over human blood; Ace was strange—there was no doubt about that. He was stubborn, childish, and had a serious case of narcolepsy that, for whatever reason, refused to be vanquished. Preferring animal blood would be last on the list of Ace's abnormal quirks. "Shh! He'll hear us!"

"You're the one still talking yoi."

"Ace! How've you been?" Thatch laughed, throwing an arm over Ace's shoulder. "We've missed you down here. What have you been taking long walks in the woods for?"

"What's it matter to you?" He and Luffy went hunting after bandaging the trouble magnet. Ace vowed to avoid the Dadan bandit hideout whenever possible. Why did Luffy attract swarms of insanity? Ace did to a certain extent but it was nowhere near Luffy's level of chaos.

"I'm talking to a boy who came barging into the mess hall about to collapse. I'm responsible for your adjustment! When you run off like that, you're making me look bad too!" Thatch faked a sob at the imagined horror. "And I lost my chaotic buddy onboard the ship! Who else is going to join me in messing with the crew?"

"There was something that came up." Marco cocked his head curiously at Ace. Thatch's smile waned for the briefest of seconds.

"Something?"

"Has anyone here spoken of a boy name Sabo?"

"I found one person yoi. What I found wasn't pretty." Being an older vampire, Marco felt he could sympathize with the boy he saw in the memories. The depths of his understanding deepened from the moment he set foot in the town. He understood why Ace had wanted it gone so bad. They came with the intention of causing mass destruction but now they were left playing with childish toys because a Yonko decided it would be fun to vacation outside of the Grandline.

"What happened to him?" Marco gave him a half-lidded stare. The vampire was starting to get a reign on his old self—understanding the world around him—and it could make him blow his top. Ace had been acting strangely. Newborns were the ones who didn't understand anything; Marco was by no means a fledgling. Marco was among the best at judging the reactions of others—and pushing them to the brink. If this 'Sabo' was responsible for Ace's unusual behavior, his reaction was going to be explosive.

Marco looked Ace in the eye. Coal black bore into his own pale blue as Marco spoke the words to shock all. His lips moved, speaking the horrific words, eliciting anger from the crowd. Marco took a strange gratification in Ace's fury as the newborn became more animalistic. It was the first time he had seen Ace fully embrace the savage ways of the vampire. It seemed he could no longer keep a hold of the tight rein so casually restraining the beast. Ace's lips pulled back in a snarl displaying a set of fangs. The menacing blood-red eyes completed the transformation into the "true" vampire. In a tight-lipped, outraged tone, he could only utter the sentence over again.

"Burned at the stake?"

…

**A/N:**

**Looks at word count. Almost 4k! Now if I can get them even longer, I would love to do that. (Luffy is killing me to write. Luffy hates me writing him in all of my stories. He's supposed to be an idiot? Why is he smart?!**

**I'm looking for a beta. Anyone want to beta my story…or others? **

**Also, I have a Tumblr page now. The link is in my profile. (I've found I love messing around on there.)**

**Anyone want some pairings? I'm thinking about adding some in. Give me some suggestions and I'll put a poll up for it. I'm up for some critique on story as well. **

**Reviews:**

**To the Guest who reviewed: People say they love this story. *Does a happy dance* I actually have no idea how the heck I came up with this. I can't tell you how many times I look at my stuff and go "Revise…revise…revise." *Rambles on about senseless things* But anyways! An early chapter to my reviewers full of cuteness and probably a heap of wha—? On the side. Here's your dark stuff on a platter.**

**On a side note: This story has run away without my permission. I cannot stop it.**


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